By a vote of 16 to 1, the State Senate on Friday passed Senate
Resolution 5, stating that ten Palin Administration employees
who did not comply with legislative subpoenas last fall committed
contempt.

"During the Monegan investigation, we were reminded that
the legislative branch's power of subpoena is an important one,
and must be respected by the executive branch," said Senator
Hollis French (D-Anchorage), chairman of the Senate Judiciary
Committee, which sponsored the resolution. "With this resolution,
the Senate is making it clear that we are a co-equal branch of
state government."

Last September, the Judiciary Committee issued subpoenas to
ten executive branch employees in connection with the investigation
into the circumstances surrounding Governor Palin's firing of
former public safety commissioner Walt Monegan. Attorney General
Talis Colberg challenged the validity of the subpoenas, and the
witnesses did not appear as ordered to testify before the committee.

"It was very frustrating to many legislators, in both parties
and in both the House and the Senate, that the administration
refused to honor our subpoenas." French said. "As
the Superior Court later affirmed, the legislative branch clearly
has subpoena powers, and the subpoenas were valid and legal.
Today's resolution is not about re-fighting old battles; it's
about making sure the legislature will be able to play its traditional,
vital role in the democratic process in the future."

Senate Resolution 5 states that, "while the witnesses who
did not appear as required by their subpoenas committed contempt,
under the totality of the circumstances, the Senate imposes no
penalty for their failure to appear."